Writer: Chip Zdarsky
Artist: Kris Anka
Colorist: Matthew Wilson
Letterer: VC’s Cory Petit
Star-Lord #1 gives you some hint of what it’s about when it says “Grounded” on the cover. Peter Quill is stuck on Earth and, well, it’s not going quite how he’d like it to. If you’re just jumping in with this new series, Chip Zdarsky explains everything in the first couple of pages, which is nice. So you don’t need to read prior series to get into this. The first page gives you two small paragraphs to get you up to speed and page two gives you information on some of the Civil War II aftermath. Then, it dives right on in.
As someone who enjoys the way Marvel brought Guardians of the Galaxy to everyone’s attention, this comic feels like a good one to jump into. While keeping up with the Guardians comics would be ideal, it’s not something I’ve done. With Star-Lord, chances are I’ll be changing that soon. While the issue catches you up to speed quickly, there’s a high chance you’ll finish it and be interested in how Peter Quill got himself into this situation. That’s not a bad thing by any means. One can never complain about having too many good stories to check out.
The meat of this story comes with Peter trying to find people to hang out with. Brand gives him a phone with two numbers programmed into it: Howard the Duck and Kitty Pride. Needless to say, Peter is not thrilled about either of those options. He calls Howard, who hangs up on him, and runs into Kitty at a museum. Logan is with her and in the end, he’s the one who hangs out with Peter, until everything turns upside down. The issue ends with Peter in handcuffs after a bar brawl.
The art by Kris Anna is an excellent match for Zdarsky’s style of storytelling. Matthew Wilson’s coloring is at it’s finest when we get a panel of Howard the Duck’s face turning red. While it’s not the most important panel, it’s a fun one. You also can appreciate Cory Petit’s lettering during the same scene to put emphasis right where it should be.
As a whole, this issue starts of the series well. It leaves us hanging with a “what will happen to Peter now” moment, which is the main reason people will return for a second issue. Chip Zdarsky is a man who can tell a story and he’s making this one too entertaining to say no to.
Verdict: Buy. If you’re a fan of Zdarsky or just a fan of Star-Lord, both are good reasons to pick this up. It’s a fun take on a character who isn’t meant to be on Earth, but is. Give it a shot and you’ll hopefully be as impressed with it as I am.
